I guess I have just been a little freaked out lately. I have heard it is and that it isnt.
Any Ideas?
Posted by abigail (Member # 14936) on :
My take on it is, if a doctor relies on the ELISA which is not reliable, and your diagnosis is made later, the infections have had time to set up shop so to speak. With my infections, every time I hit 'em hard, they hit me right back (headache). Since I have to work to pay my doctor's bills, I do not have the option of having a headache. For me, I don't see this junk as curable perhaps simply because I can't afford the repercussions from hitting this crap hard enough to make it go into remission. Personally, I do not think it ever goes away completely, but I do believe that it can be put on a very short leash given the resources.
Posted by bonafidejason (Member # 24472) on :
I know lots of people who have totally moved on...
Posted by painted turtle (Member # 7801) on :
I believe there are many scenarios and possible outcomes. Of course if caught early and treated properly, your chances are good.
If a person has lived decades with it before being diagnosed, I think by that time it has become more a part of the person's DNA than anything. If you are of a certain immune type, then things are easier and the opposite is also true. If you are a certain immune type then things are not easy. I think genetics plays a role in how this thing lives itself out.
Even so, I do believe it is possible for the toughest of cases to find "cure" although I have not yet seen this for myself.
It's complicated.
Posted by Treelady (Member # 23506) on :
I absolutely think it is curable. It takes a LONG time, persistance and a good doc. Think I am close but sooooo much better than I was. I feel like I have come out of a deep, dark tunnel. Hang in there and get yourself a good doctor.
Posted by METALLlC BLUE (Member # 6628) on :
Every infectious disease is curable, it's just whether we can find the cure in time. Lyme can be both cured and unfortunately very very persistent in-spite of a great variety of conventional therapies. Some who were sick for decades suddenly improved and never got sick again (as far as I know), so yeah, it's a probability issue. If you find something that works for you, and you remain well for the remainder of your life, then you're cured I suppose.
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
I had undiagnosed lyme disease for about 10 years. I also had babesiosis and bartonella (lyme co-infections).
I completed my lyme treatment 5 years ago and I am still symptom-free, enjoying my life--the same life I had before lyme disease.
I say I am cured because I do nothing to maintain my cure (no supplements, meds, or anything at all) and I have had steroid injections in my spine since completing treatment, and still the lyme did not return. I also went through 2 years of terrible stress.
These are some of the things that can cause a relapse, but I have not relapsed.
The doc is the key to getting rid of this disease. I can't emphasize that enough. The doc is the key. It takes a doc that has a lot of expertise to get you well.
I went through 2 other lyme docs before I found the one who knew enough to cure me. He followed the Burrascano lyme treatment guidelines.
These guidelines have also gotten a number of my friends well from this disease. So, that is the protocol I recommend to everyone.
I don't think anyone can say with certainty that lyme is curable. Even the LLMD's and "experts" don't agree on this.
The first time my wife was was treated for lyme disease (with abx) for under two years she got totally better. She relapsed a couple of years later. She was retreated with abx again for 8 months and got totally better again. She's off abx now.
She's not really "cured" but she's doing very well. Occasionally she still has brain fog, mental confusion, exhaustion, etc, but she's working full time and holding up pretty good.
She's been good about exercising and eating right. When she slacks off in those two areas, she feels her symptoms coming on again.
My personal opinion, based on reading up on disease this for five years, you never really get "cured", but you can put it into remission and hope it never rears it's ugly head again.
If you eat right, exercise and take good supplements you should be able to live a normal life and keep the disease under control. Like I said, even LLMD's and experts are not in agreement on whether or not lyme is curable, but it certainly can be put into remission.
By the way, this is a great website from Dr. Ron who has lyme disease himself. He admits he isn't cured, but he believes his diet and supplements keep his lyme under control and he lives a normal life. It's a very good website that I encourage everyone to read. He recently added a blog which is very informative.
Edit: I noticed this morning I put the wrong link for Dr. Ron's blog. I accidently put another link there instead of the correct one. My apologies.
[ 02-28-2010, 08:07 AM: Message edited by: gwb ]
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
This is a hotly debated subject for which even the best scientists do not agree.
You may want to read "Cure Unknown" written by a science journalist whose whole family is infected. She interviewed a number of doctors and scientists for her book. http://www.cureunknown.com/
Borrelia typically lives in the tissues rather than the blood and can go into cystic form making it very hard to kill. This form is apparently able to survive for a long time in a state of hibernation until conditions are right for survival. When it comes out of cyst form, in vitro shows as many as 5 spirochetes emerging from each cyst.
Borrelia also has mechanisms for avoiding the immune system. There are many papers on this that you can find with a google search.
I believe it is a functioning immune system that keeps it under control. As one ages or acquires other infections, the immune system is not as strong and borrelia may activate at that time and the illness go unrecognized as lyme disease because there are many illnesses that may be related to lyme disease but are not recognized as such. Alzheimers is one. I'm sure not all cases of Alzheimers is lyme disease but no doubt some are. MacDonald found spirochetes in the plaque of 7 out of 10 alzheimers brains.
I don't think most LLMD's (lyme literate Medical Doctors) use the "cure" word. I think remission is a better word.
A person who catches the illness early on, who has a good immune system, no untreated co-infections (infections that are passed with the tick bite itself), no untreated genetic issues (methylation cycle problems, KPU or the HLA issues) or gaps in their immune system may well expect to stay in remission. I know some people stay there for a long time.
In the end, no one really knows the answer to your question. There is no scientific proof one way or the other.
Terry I'm not a doctor
Posted by gwb (Member # 7273) on :
I noticed this morning, in my post above, I put the wrong link for Dr. Ron's blog. I accidently put another link instead of the correct one. My apologies.
Hope you have a chance to read his website and blog. Great information there!
Gary
Posted by djf2005 (Member # 11449) on :
remission-yes
cure-no
you can and will go on to live a full and symptom free life.
Posted by NeuroEcclectic (Member # 17783) on :
wow
Posted by gwb (Member # 7273) on :
quote:Originally posted by NeuroEcclectic: wow
Yeah, that's a good way of putting it.
Gary
Posted by LightAtTheEnd (Member # 24065) on :
It may be possible to kill it all, but there is no way to prove that it's gone.
It is certain that some people have relapses after successful treatment, so after it seems to be gone, you have to assume there is a possibility of relapse and take care of yourself to try to prevent it.
Maybe it is really gone, but living a healthy lifestyle won't hurt you if that's the case.
Even if it is gone, you could still get sick from another tick bite.
A lot of people achieve what they either call "remission" or "cure," where all or most of their symptoms go away and they go back to their normal lives, so it is absolutely possible to get better.
Posted by TxLymie (Member # 20847) on :
I like to think yes it is curable. But I suppose there is no definite proof either way.
I say this because I believe our minds play a big part in healing and a positive attitude will go a long way to helping you get better. I prefer not think I'm always going to have lyme.
Also I know 2 people who had chronic lyme and have been "cured" for over 10 years.
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
I don't think in Lyme you are ever talking about just Lyme.
I think if you can figure out what all needs hit and go for it you can be cured.
All of these articles I just got by Rick at Yahoo Groups is relative to what I just said.
In Lyme you are working in the dark and that needs changed.
The prevalence studies will be very helpful if they can come up with the funds to find what each
tick has to every area it will make it a lot easier to treat if caught early...I hope. So please go over to Activism and get your politicians to support HR 1179 if you haven't already. http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/8/2224